Today the Senate supported (34 in favour, 25 against) the Australian Greens amendments to the Treasury Legislation Amendment (Small Business and Unfair Contract Terms) Bill 2015. The Bill seeks to introduce protection for unfair terms in standard form contracts for businesses with less than 20 employees.

Greens spokesperson for Finance, Small Business and Competition Policy expresses his disappointment at Prime Minister Abbott’s indication today that he is crab-walking away from introducing an ‘effects test’

Greens spokesperson for Competition Policy, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, says if the Government is willing to bring on legislation for a real “Effects Test” to rein in the powers of the supermarket duopoly then the Greens are willing to look at it.

Today the Senate voted against the motion lodged by Greens Finance spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, calling on the government to establish a Royal Commission into misconduct within the financial services sector.

The Greens spokesperson for Consumer Affairs, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, says that revelations that ANZ charged 8,500 clients for a service they never received shows that more needs to be done to root out problems in the sector.

Greens spokesperson for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Small Business, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, says that today’s revelations in the Fairfax papers about scandals in the NAB financial advice arm is the last straw for the Government in failing to regulate and properly investigate the sector.

Greens spokesperson for Consumer Affairs, Competition Policy and Small Business, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson provides the following comments on release of the Murray Financial System Inquiry final recommendations today.